Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-stimulated 3-O-methyl-glucose transport in mouse Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts by glycyrrhetic acid.

12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a potent tumor promoter, stimulated 3-O-methyl-glucose (3MeGlu) transport in Swiss 3T3 mouse fibroblasts. Application of glycyrrhetic acid, a terpenoid derivative, to cells prior to the treatment with TPA showed a time- and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the TPA-stimulated 3MeGlu transport. From the kinetic analysis, it was suggested that the TPA-induced stimulation of hexose transport was due to the enhancement of the number of hexose carrier, which was completely inhibited by glycyrrhetic acid.